We were looking forward to delivery of a red canoe but sadly the last one in stock got sold accidentally with the last one in stock of the model we want in white…
It is a nova craft pal in tuff stuff - from what I understand the gelcoats used are top notch but I wonder how much white would show wear over time versus red.
The standard finish has the black anodized gunwales - really not so great looking with any colour, and I can definitely see myself replacing those with ash sometime in the near future for feel and looks which would improve my wife’s opinion of the boat no end - in white that would look just fine.
But in my mind it compares to my attire choices… I rarely don a white shirt with our 5 year old always looking to ruin it lol so it has me in a bit of a bind as to what to do.
Saw a poll someplace on this or another forum with colour choices a while back and green led the way followed by red with white being chosen by less than 1%…
Any experienced paddlers who’ve worn out a boat or two please chip in
Agreed - grew up on and around boats pretty much and the glare from white hulls and sunshine glistening off the waves is something my shades have tried to cope with for a long time.
Usually sunshine is all that wears those hulls down though save the occasional run in with flotsam buoys or less than qualified boatsmen and theirs ^^ and nova craft does dispense gelcoat repair kits in any of the colours they sell for easy matching though I suppose not having to have those airmailed here and going for a close matching one here counts for something as well…
Good food for thought.
Going to sleep on it for a night and make the call I suppose. What counts most of all is getting out there and enjoying ourselves - one thing I am sure of is that that tuff stuff laminate would keep afloat in most any circumstance.
In my opinion, a white gel-coated canoe can be very striking. Most composite canoes scratch “white” and any gel coat will eventually get scratches. White, almond, or sand colored canoes therefore show bottom scratches much less than a dark color like red or burgundy.
If you ever try to patch gel coat, you will never get a color match even if you obtain factory gel coat. All gel coats vary a bit in color depth, and your canoe will undoubtedly have faded a bit by the time you need to patch the gel coat. Gel coat putties that are not tinted are an off-white color and will not be very noticeable when used to patch a white canoe.
Light colored canoes do show “pond scum” that tends to dry on the sides, but that is simply a matter of washing the canoe. On a body of water with whitecaps, a capsized white hull can be hard to spot. That tends to be more an issue for kayaks than canoes.
Most new canoes come with the option of a scuff patch. It covers the bottom up to the waterline where most scratches occur. Its white or almond or pale gray gel coat. It has a purpose
To hide scratches. Scratches on gel coat that is colored turn up white… Go scratch that red one and see the white appear.
The pond scum line is alleviated by using a marine wax. That won’t make the boat go faster but does inhibit algae clinging and makes rinsing far more effective.
https://youtu.be/gK66zjSn4HA?t=133
note at timestamp 2m13s I think the gelcoat used by NC is through n through colored though 6 weeks of expedition later what used to be burgundy red looks more like stone red with all the action they saw and shine taken off of it lol… but I get your points!
Your post brought back memories.
I had a customer that ordered a sailboat and insisted on a dark blue hull. It looked fantastic until he scraped it against a SF/Oakland Bay Bridge pier. That boat was a nightmare to repair.
=D magooch - nice one… Ours will be a touch slower I fear lol but then again I could pack the family bbq in a Nova Craft Pal =)
Well technically all gelcoats fade Paddledog52 - don’t know the english word for it but in Dutch its ’ verkrijten ’ roughly translated as chalking. It would be less noticable with white cept for the clouds of white coming off the hull when washed in the water lol… And I know plenty of gentlemen wearing faded red pants wáy beyond their sell by date XD
As for pond scum sticking - always wanted to try the Lotusan coating on something ^^
The older a red gel coat boat is, and the more miles it has on the roof rack, the whiter it becomes so you might as well start with the same color you’ll end up with.